Articulated doll leg



Sept. 4, 1956 J w ARTICULATED DOLL LEG Filed May 11, 1954 FIG. 2.

FIG. I.

INVENTOR JULIUS WE H. BY WM+W HIS A'ITORNEYS.

United States Patent ARTIGULATED DOLL LEG Julius Weih, Ozone- Park, N. Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 11 1954, Serial No. 428,920

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-163) This invention relates generally to simulated limb construction, and is particularly directed to an accurately simulated human or animal limb having articulated members. i

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a pair of limb members, one of which has a socket rotatably receiving an end of the other limb member, and a resilient tension member extends through the socket and is connected to the limb members for holding the latter together and maintaining the members in position relative to each other.

it is one object of the present invention to provide a construction in which the members thereof accurately simulate, both in appearance and movement, the mem bers of a human or animal limb. Hence, by the present invention, a doll, puppet or artificial animal may present life-like appearances of walking, or other normal body movements.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simulated limb construction having the characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, which may be actuated to effect various life-like movements, as desired, and which may be retained in any selected position of movement. That is, a device embodying the novel limb construction of the instant invention may be manipulated with case, even by a small child, to present the accurately simulated appearance of anatomic movement, and will be self-retaining in any desired position into which it is manipulated.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a simulated limb construction having the advantageous featuresmentioned above, which is extremely sim ple in construction, requiring a minimum of parts, and wherein normal wear of the parts is automatically compensated for or taken up to insure long continued, troublefree operation. In addition, the device of the present invention readily permits of rugged and durable construction at a relatively low cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing a simulated leg constructed according to the present invention, the thigh and lower leg members being in substantially aligned or straight relation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view, similar to Fig. 1, wherein the leg members are disposed in angular relation with respect to each other;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

'ice

Fig. 4 is a partial, elevational view showing the external appearance of the joint connecting the upper and lower leg members.

While the limb construction of the present invention is equally well adapted for simulating a wide variety of limbs, both human and otherwise, the invention has been primarily developed and employed, in connection with doll legs, and will be described hereinafter with particular reference thereto.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a thigh or upper leg, generally designated 10, and a lower leg member, generally designated 11, which is articulated to the thigh member by the joint 12.

The thigh member is preferably hollow and of generally ovaloid cross-section, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The front or forward wall portion of the thigh memher is provided with an internal boss 16 adjacent to and spaced above the lower end of the thigh; and an oppositely laterally disposed, internal boss 17 is formed on the back or rearward thigh wall portion 18. Extending between the internal bosses to and 17, and having its opposite ends secured therein, is a rod 19, which is formed with a downwardly looped portion 20 adjacent to and spaced from the forward wall portion 15.

Formed on the lower end of the thigh member 10 is an outwardly or downwardly facing socket, generally designated 21, and having an internal concave surface 22. An aperture or opening 23, generally centrally disposed, is formed in the socket 21. This opening 23 communicates with the interior of the thigh member and it substantially subdivides the socket 2.1 into front and rear portions or sides 24 and 25, respectively. It will be noticed that the radii of curvature of the front and rear socket portions 24 and 25 are appreciably diiferent' More particularly, while the front and rear socket portions 24 and 25 have substantially the same center of curvature, defined by the pivot axis A of relative turning movement between thigh 10 and leg 11, the radius of curvature of the forward socket portion 24 is substantially greater than that of the rearward socket portion 25. It will also be noticed that the rearward socket portion 25 is provided with a slot 27 opening into the aperture 23, for a purpose appearing presently.

In order to facilitate assembly of the thigh and lower leg members 10 and 11, respectively, as will appear in greater detail hereinafter, the socket 21 defines, in its entirety, an arc of not more than 180. Thus, the discontinuous arcuate path from the lower edge 28 of the forward socket portion 24 to the lower edge 29 of the rearward socket portion 25 is approximately 180 about the socket center of curvature and said pivot axis.

The lower leg member 11 is also preferably hollow, including front and rear wall portions 30 and 31, respectively, and a lower end foot-simulating portion 32.

These walls3tl and 31 have laterally opposed bosses 33and 24, which support the ends of a rod 35. The

rod 35 is bent to provide an upwardly looped portion 36 adjacent to and spaced from the front wall portion 30, for a purpose appearing presently.

Formed on the upper end of the lower leg member 11 is a hollow, conveXly-curved or bulb-shaped end portion 38 which forms a bearing. As will be seen in Fig. l, the bulb or bearing 38 opens into the interior of the lower leg member 11 and may be formed integrally therewith, as desired. A cutout portion 39 is formed in the upper part of the bulb 38, intermediate the forward and rearward walls 40 and 41 of said bulb 38. Stated otherwise, the bulb 38 is sub-divided into forward and rearward portions 40 and 41, respectively, by the cutout portion 39. The forward bulb wall 40 is of substantially the same radius of curvature and has approximately the same center of curvature as the internal surface 22 of the forward socket portion 45, and is thus adapted for conforming, rotative engagement with the latter. Similarly, the rear bulb portion 41 has a radius of curvature and center of curvature substantially the same as that of the rear socket portion 25, and is adapted for conforming, rotative engagement with the latter. Thus, the socket 21 is adapted to conformably receive the bulb 38, the latter being rotatably engaged within the socket. As both the socket and bulb are substantially ovaloid in horizontal section, relative rotation will be constrained about a single transverse, substantially horizontal axis. As above noted, this is the common center of walls 24 and 25.

The rearward bulb wall 41 is formed with a ledge 42 extending into the bulb cutout portion 39 and supporting a radially outwardly extending rearwardly bent lug 43.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the lug 43 is engageable within the slot 27 of the rearward socket portion 25 to limit rotative movement of the lower leg member 11 in the counterclockwise direction to a final position substantially in alignment with the thigh member 10. The lug 43 also engages over the rear socket portion 25 to prevent withdrawal of the bulb 38 from the socket 21, when-the thigh 10 and leg 11 are alined in the position of Fig. 1. Upon relative swinging or rotative movement of the lower leg member from said alined portion in the clockwise direction, such clockwise movement will not be obstructed by the lug 43, because the latter is spaced radially inwards from the front socket portion 24. However, engagement of the lower, rearward edge 29 of the thigh member 10 with the upper, rearward portion 44 of the lower leg member will limit relative movement of the leg 11 to a flexed or angular relation with respect to the thigh member 10, as shown in Fig. 2. I

Extending between and secured to the loops 20 and 36 of the rods 19 and 35 is a resilient, tension member 46, which may be a rubber band, coil spring, or other suitable device. It will be observed that the tension member 46 serves to hold the bulb 38 in engagement within the socket 21, while the loops 20 and 36 serve to position the tension member relative to the axis of rotation of the lower leg member. Thus, in the position of Fig. l, the tension member is to the right of theaxis of rotation and yieldably maintains the lower leg member in its aligned relation; while in the position of Fig. 2, the tension member 46 is bent and engages with the ledge 42 and the portion of tension member 46 which is between ledge 42 and rod 35 is disposed above the axis of rotation A, so as to yieldably maintain the lower leg member in its angular relation.

In practice, it has been found desirable to arrange the above described construction so that the lower leg member 11 will be self-retaining in any selected position. This may be simply and efiiciently achieved by providing a snug fit between the bulb 38 and socket 21, so that relative rotation therebetween will require a force somewhat greater than that exerted by the tension member to overcome friction between the bulb and socket. It will also be understood that the tension member serves to maintain the snug-fitting engagement of the bulb and socket and compensate for wear of thesame by drawing the leg members together to take up any looseness therebetween.

While leg members formed of plastic material have been illustrated in the .drawing, and such material is: preferred for its molding characteristics and surface qualities, it is appreciated that any suitable materials may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

From the foregoing it is seen that the present invention provides a simulated limb construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture. and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A simulated hollow limb comprising an upper hollow limb member having a concave socket in its lower end, a lower hollow limb member having. a top convex bearing portion rotatably engaged in said socket, said convex bearing portion having an opening, said members being turnable relative to each other about a single transverse pivot axis, said lower member being. turnable about said pivot axis to an alined position in which it is alined With said upper member, said lower member being also turnable in a bending direction about said pivot axis to a bent position to be substantially perpendicular to said upper member, an elastic band tension member extending between the upper and lower limb members, the upper end of said tension member being connected to said upper limb member, the lower end of said tension member being connected to said lower limb member, said tension member being located within said hollow limb and extending through said opening into said bearing portion, said tension member being straight when said lower member is in said alined position and having its lower portion bent laterally to one side of said pivot avis vto exert a torque on said lower member in a direction reverse to said bending direction, said socket having at its front a bottom edge-wall which abuts said lower member in its alined position to prevent the turning of said lower member in said reverse direction, said bearing portion having a rear wall which has a top edge which abuts said tension member to bend said tension member when said lower limb member is in said bent position, said convex bearing portion and said socket having enough friction to maintain said leg in its bent position against the torque of said bent tension member, the rear walls of said upper and lower members being shaped to provide a stop which limits the bending movement of said lower member. 

